


Making Sure

by Jadesfire2808 (Jadesfire)



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-12-22
Updated: 2009-12-22
Packaged: 2017-10-05 00:04:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,180
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/35527
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jadesfire/pseuds/Jadesfire2808
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sheppard's not the only one still recovering from the events of the previous day.  [Episode tag for "Tabula Rasa"]</p>
            </blockquote>





	Making Sure

"Doctor McKay? I thought you were going for some dinner."

"I did. I mean, I ate, had dinner, food. Stuff."

The voices stirred Sheppard out of his doze. It was otherwise quiet in the infirmary, where the seven of them who'd had the more violent reactions were recovering. He wrestled half-heartedly with the sheets, trying to get comfortable on the bed. He hated trying to sleep half-reclining, and he fidgeted restlessly as he listened to the conversation. Why did infirmary blankets always tangle round his feet like that?

"Then why did you come back?"

As he'd drifted in and out during the day, Sheppard had heard Keller's increasingly annoyed exhortations for McKay to leave the infirmary and let her patients rest, but it had taken the promise of food to get rid of him completely. Colonel Carter had banned anyone from taking it to him, and Teyla had intervened with the offer of dinner, although even then, Ronon had had to practically drag him away by his collar. It had taken Sheppard a while to drop off again after that, the sudden silence much more distracting than the constant background murmur of McKay's voice had been.

"It won't come off."

The familiar, plaintive whine dragged Sheppard into full consciousness, opening his eyes and blinking, even in the dim lights of the infirmary. His head was still pounding and he felt as though he'd gone ten rounds with Ronon and Teyla combined, but at least he could remember his own name again.

"It's permanent marker. What did you expect?"

Sheppard grinned. He liked Keller, and it sounded as though she'd got McKay's measure alright. The voices were coming from Sheppard's right and McKay had never really mastered keeping his voice down. Exasperation seemed to have added volume to Keller's, and Sheppard could almost hear her glaring as McKay said,

"Oh, come on. I'm not asking you to amputate a limb. How hard can it be? With all this equipment, you must have something that can take it off. Not that I expected actual concern from a member of the medical profession, but my understanding is that permanent ink can enter the bloodstream and cause poisoning, so-"

"Alright!" Apparently only just noticing the level of her voice, Keller lowered it quickly. "Alright. Sit down and I'll go find something."

"Thank you," McKay said with exaggerated gratitude, and Sheppard heard the rustling of sheets. Turning his head a fraction, he realized that he couldn't see past the banks of monitors that still surrounded him, which meant that McKay couldn't see him either. On experimentation, Sheppard found that if he slid a little lower on the bed, he could just about see McKay's feet, swinging back and forth as he waited. After a minute or so, Keller's legs came into view.

"Did it help?" she asked softly, and Sheppard heard the rustling of a wrapper.

The writing had still been all over McKay's arms when he'd come to see Sheppard earlier in the day. The previous day. Whatever. It had been a good idea, except that McKay couldn't have had any way of knowing what the notes meant, exactly. Lorne producing that photograph had been weird enough. Sheppard still didn't entirely remember having it taken in the first place, and he'd certainly found it hard to connect to, even after Ronon had explained it to him several times with increasing impatience.

"A little. I think." McKay gave a bitter laugh. "Ironically, I'm finding it hard to remember."

Resting his cheek against the pillow, Sheppard closed his eyes again. At least he'd had Ronon there. All McKay had had was a paranoid scientist and a boss who hadn't known that she was in charge. The fact that they'd managed to find Teyla at all was a major achievement, and probably said something about McKay's single-mindedness.

Sheppard didn't realize that he'd dozed off until he woke with a start, his face still turned towards McKay and Keller, and his neck twisted awkwardly. Stretching a little, but without opening his eyes, he tried to listen to the low voices on the other side of the monitor wall.

"What's this one?" That was Keller.

"It's in Ancient."

"I can see that. What does it say?"

"Nothing helpful."

"Then why did you write it?"

"I don't remember!"

Rather than wind him up further – Sheppard's default choice – Keller apparently decided to move on.

"And this one?"

There was a long silence, and Sheppard forced his eyes open to see what was going on. Keller was standing between him and McKay, moving slightly as she worked. When McKay still didn't answer, she went on, "Little guy, glasses."

"Zelenka." There was more silence, then McKay coughed loudly. "Not that it was much use, since I completely forgot why I wrote it."

"You wanted to remember your friends, though."

McKay huffed. "Sorry to disappoint you, but I didn't even know he was my friend when I wrote that." He paused, as though replaying the words in his head. Then he sighed. "I wanted to remember everything."

"Well, you remembered enough, for long enough."

The trace of vulnerability was gone from McKay's voice as he replied, "Yes. Yes I did. Long enough to save everyone's lives."

Sheppard heard Keller stifle a laugh, then she said, "I think that's it."

"Finally." The bed squeaked as McKay climbed off it.

"You're welcome," Keller said pointedly.

"Yes, of course. Er, thanks."

Then there were brisk footsteps coming in his direction, and Sheppard shut his eyes quickly. The steps passed his bed with only the slightest pause, then stopped at the far side of the infirmary.

Either Sheppard was drifting again, or Keller walked real quiet, because he hadn't expected her voice to come from the direction that McKay had just taken.

"She's going to be fine."

"I know. I just hope she remembers my cactus."

"Cactus?"

Cactus?

"She named a cactus after me." McKay was speaking more slowly, the way he did when he was using his hands as well as his voice to get a point across. Sheppard could almost imagine him miming the shape of the plant. "It's got really sharp thorns."

Of course, Sheppard thought sleepily, it would have. Even to his dozing brain, McKay's voice seemed oddly subdued as he went on, "I've got all kinds of things with my name on. Papers, books, programs, all sorts. One day, I'm going to discover McKay's law, and it's going to change the world, maybe the galaxy. Maybe two galaxies."

Lips curling ever so slightly, Sheppard knew he was falling asleep again, because he almost missed McKay's last, soft comment.

"No-one's ever wanted to name anything after me before."

Sheppard stirred as slower footsteps crossed the infirmary and stopped by his bed. He was just drifting off in the silence when the sheets by his feet were moved, pulled straight and gently resettled over him.

"He's going to be alright too."

"I know." McKay's voice was close now, and it was the last thing Sheppard heard as he finally sank into sleep. "Just making sure."


End file.
